Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine! Fist Bouts at the Martial Hall!

Jiang Shu left school.

Without a sound.

Yet his deeds swiftly spread from the senior year to the sophomore and freshman classes.

The resolve of some students who had originally wanted to switch to becoming Martial Arts Students grew even firmer.

Scene after scene took shape in their minds.

Jiang Shu standing proud and tall.

Jiang Shu lifting a classroom desk with one hand.

Jiang Shu chatting and laughing with the principal.

Jiang Shu...

Jiang Shu giving a massage.

"Ah... it hurts... yes, right there... hiss..."

In the bedroom.

Jiang Yongyi was bare-chested, gritting his teeth.

Jiang Shu's highly skilled massage had worked the blood through his entire back, leaving it flushed red.

"Take a break, take a break. Xiao Shu, where did you learn these techniques? How are you so skilled at them?"

"Dad, I've been practicing martial arts for over three months, after all. Practicing martial arts means understanding the body well enough. It's normal to know some acupoints. Your back is far too stiff—you should get it massaged more often."

"Ah, I'm used to it. You can do whatever you want with this old body of mine. Xiao Shu, martial artists get so many good benefits. Do you think our Xia Kingdom might send martial artists onto some battlefield?"

Every so often, Jiang Yongyi let out the deep breath he had been holding. With his back to Jiang Shu, he could not help asking.

During the massage just now, his son had been telling him about what had been covered in today's lecture.

The classifications of Martial Dao realms.

The benefits martial artists received.

The importance the Xia Kingdom placed on Martial Dao had completely overturned his understanding.

Without question, in terms of benefits, martial artists even surpassed ordinary civil servants.

It was just that he did not know what they would have to give in return.

Pies did not fall from the sky.

At nearly fifty years old, he understood that principle extremely well.

"Dad, I don't think we need to think that far ahead. In the age of Hot Weapons, even Manifested Force Martial Artists are said to possess over a thousand jin of strength, their punches blasting the air apart. But how could they compare to sniper rifles and rocket launchers? If they really went onto a battlefield, trained soldiers would definitely be stronger than martial artists who were nothing but a rabble, relying only on individual strength."

"Going by the name alone, the Martial Arts Support Fund is a benefit you can enjoy without having to give anything in return. And Dad, don't look at those ten thousand yuan as though it's a huge amount. For martial artists, it simply isn't enough."

"A martial artist's food, clothing, and daily expenses are more than ten times those of ordinary people. Dad, just look at how many sets of clothes and shoes I've gone through lately, and how much meat I've eaten. And I'm not even a martial artist yet."

"Besides, even if it really came to what you said, and martial artists had to go to war, that would mean the situation had already become dire. In such circumstances, wouldn't martial artists have a better chance of protecting themselves than ordinary people?"

Jiang Shu explained as he massaged him. Being directly recruited as a high school Martial Arts teacher and receiving ten thousand yuan a month in Martial Arts Support Fund was, in his view, merely the most basic benefit.

If martial artists truly had to rely on that little income alone, they would only live slightly better than ordinary people.

It was nowhere near enough if they wanted to make progress in Martial Dao.

One only had to listen to the names of the resources Zheng Yanbo had mentioned to know.

Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine.

Exotic Beast Meat.

At a glance, neither sounded cheap.

If one's talent was sufficient and one reached Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation in university, they could enjoy the Xia Kingdom's subsidies for several more years, obtaining a certain share of Heaven and Earth Treasure Medicine and Exotic Beast Meat at extremely low prices—or even for free.

But once they left school and entered society?

Ten thousand yuan a month.

Before the cultivation resources they needed.

It was a drop in the bucket.

"That's true. And that's assuming you even become a martial artist. There must be plenty of people who work hard for years and still fail to become one. They never reach the most basic threshold, yet pour in so much for nothing."

"But don't worry, Xiao Shu. If you want to walk the path of Martial Dao, your dad will absolutely support you. It's fine even if you don't become a martial artist—building up your body is still a good thing. Don't wait until you reach your dad's age and find that everything hurts. That just won't do."

"Do you have enough money? Dad will transfer you a few thousand yuan. This is my own little stash, so don't tell your mom."

As he spoke, Jiang Yongyi picked up the old phone he had not replaced in three or four years and readily transferred six thousand yuan to Jiang Shu.

"Thanks, Dad. You don't need to work so hard either. Your son should have a bit of talent in Martial Dao."

Lowering himself, Jiang Shu gently massaged Jiang Yongyi's head.

Right now, he had merely achieved Qi and Blood Circulation.

If one day he could nurture manifested force and use it to massage his father.

Then perhaps the old hidden ailments in his body would slowly be healed as well.

Thinking of this, Jiang Shu's mind drifted for a moment.

Jiang Yongyi, meanwhile, closed his eyes in enjoyment and muttered, "Feels good. Once you become a martial artist, Xiao Shu, your dad won't drive for Didi anymore. I'll go fishing every day and make those guys die of envy!"

"If your mom no longer wants to run the shop then, I'll take her traveling around the country. Since we got married, the two of us have hardly gone anywhere for fun. I'll secretly book the tickets first and give her a surprise. Since opening the shop, your mom truly hasn't taken a single day off. She even keeps the shop open during the New Year. Once you and Xiao Yue both make something of yourselves, it'll be time for the two of us to take a rest too."

"But it's still early. Take things slowly, Xiao Shu. Your mom and dad are still young—we can keep working for several more years. Save up some more money, then get you a bigger place in the future."

"At the very least, we need to save enough for a down payment."

After dinner.

After sitting and chatting with his parents and younger sister for a while, then waiting until everything had been tidied up.

Jiang Shu returned to his room, locked the door, and chose to cross over.

Crooked Snake Alley.

The Green Snake Gang's search had yet to end. At every alley entrance under Poison Fang Hall's jurisdiction, three to five gang members gathered, their eyes fixed tightly on every passing poor resident and Refugee.

The moment they saw anyone with short hair, they immediately seized them for questioning.

Wearing a wig realistic enough to pass for genuine hair, Jiang Shu remained expressionless and walked straight toward the Inner City.

Hungry Tiger Martial Hall.

Today's atmosphere seemed somewhat different from usual.

The apprentices in the courtyard had gathered along both sides, leaving the center open.

They whispered among themselves.

"Brother Luo, what's going on?"

Jiang Shu walked up to a dark-skinned young man and asked quietly.

Having trained at Hungry Tiger Martial Hall for nearly a month, he naturally had not spent all his time with his head down in hard practice.

Luo Yongcheng was the first friend he had made here.

He was twenty-two and had started martial arts late. So despite practicing with exceptional diligence for more than a year without interruption, he had only reached minor mastery in the Hungry Tiger Sitting Cave Stance and achieved Qi and Blood Circulation.

"Junior Brother Jiang." Seeing Jiang Shu arrive, Luo Yongcheng shifted to the side and made a little room for him. He replied in a low voice as well, "Right, you haven't been training at Hungry Tiger Martial Hall for long, so you don't know yet. On the first day of every month, the apprentices of our martial hall draw lots under Old Man Chou's supervision and have a fist bout."

"The senior brothers at Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation can all receive Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine as a reward. If they catch Old Man Chou's eye during the bouts, they can even become formal disciples directly."

"Those at Qi and Blood Circulation can likewise receive Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine as long as they win their fist bout."

"Don't underestimate Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine. What we take every day is only the lowest grade, and it has to be mixed into meat soup. You know that I studied medicine for more than ten years before practicing martial arts. I could naturally taste that several ingredients in the Hungry Tiger Secret Medicine are forbidden medicines in the county town."

"With the secret medicine nourishing them, Blood Qi would rapidly grow stronger, allowing one to become a martial artist at the fastest speed..."

Luo Yongcheng's voice grew quieter and quieter.

At this moment, Old Man Chou had risen and entered the courtyard.

Two senior brothers at Whole Body Qi and Blood Great Circulation had also stepped onto the platform and clasped their fists.

Tiger Form Three Styles.

Pounce!

Heave!

Shear!

Their fists and kicks were like the wind, dust flying everywhere.

Luo Yongcheng looked at the two figures on the platform, his hands clenched tight, his eyes filled with envy!